Technology

Vans - The Story Behind The Checkerboard Hype

The checkerboard slip-on is selling like hotcakes these days. Have you evered wonder why it has become one of the most recognized of all the Vans styles? How did they come about?

In the late seventies, it has become popular. Kids were taking the side profile off the shoe, where the white rubber was, and coloring it in checkerboard. So Vans decided to start making rubber with the checks on it and eventually made some canvas. Right at the same the brand had a PR lady named Betty Mitchell and Universal Studio’s asked her for some shoes. So she sent a whole lot of checkerboard shoes for the movie Fast Times at Ridgemont High, Vans had no idea.

The crew liked them so much and they ended up on the album cover and then Sean Penn, or Jeff Spicoli in the movie, was hitting him self over the head with the shoes in the movie. Then it became a huge hit just like that. Vans has sold millions of checkerboards.